He made long journeys alone in the woods.  One day he looked back through the trees and saw four Indians.  They were fol-low-ing Boone’s tracks.  They did not see him.  He turned this way and that.  But the Indians still fol-lowed his tracks.

He went over a little hill.  Here he found a wild grape-vine.  It was a very long vine, reaching to the top of a high tree.  There are many such vines in the Southern woods.  Children cut such vines off near the roots.  Then they use them for swings.

Boone had swung on grape-vines when he was a boy.  He now thought of a way to break his tracks.  He cut the wild grape-vine off near the root.  Then he took hold of it.  He sprang out into the air with all his might.  The great swing carried him far out as it swung.  Then he let go.  He fell to the ground, and then he ran away in a dif-fer-ent di-rec-tion from that in which he had been going.

When the Indians came to the place, they could not find his tracks.  They could not tell which way he had gone.  He got to his cabin in safety.

Boone had now been alone for many months.  His brother did not get back at the time he had set for coming.  Boone thought that his brother might have been killed.  Boone had not tasted anything but meat since he left home.  He had to get his food by shooting animals in the woods.  By this time he had hardly any powder or bullets left.

[Illustration:  Boone on the Grapevine Swing]

One evening he sat by his cabin.  He heard some one coming.  He thought that it might be Indians.  He heard the steps of horses.  He looked through the trees.  He saw his brother riding on one horse, and leading another.  The other horse was loaded with powder and bullets and clothes, and other things that Boone needed.

DANIEL BOONE’S DAUGHTER AND HER FRIENDS.

Daniel Boone and his brother picked out a good place in Ken-tuck-y to settle.  Then they went home to North Car-o-li-na.  They took with them such things as were cu-ri-ous and val-u-a-ble.  These were the skins of animals they had killed, and no doubt some of the heads and tails.

Boone was restless.  He had seen Kentucky and he did not wish to settle down to the life of North Carolina.

In two years Boone sold his farm in North Carolina and set out for Kentucky.  He took with him his wife and children and two brothers.  Some of their neighbors went with them.  They trav-eled by pack train.  All their goods were packed on horses.

When they reached the place on the Kentucky River that Boone had chosen for a home they built a fort of log houses.  These cabins all stood round a square.  The backs of the houses were outward.  There was no door or window in the back of a house.  The outer walls were thus shut up.  They made the place a fort.  The houses at the four corners were a little taller and stronger than the others.  There were gates leading into the fort.  These gates were kept shut at night.